Free Silas (Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Desired by a Dragon Book 1) by Terra Wolf, Hailey Storm Page A

the palms of my hands. “This isn’t happening. I’m not having this conversation. I hit my head, and now I’m dreaming. Dragons don’t exist.”
    I forced deep, measured breaths through my lungs until I could feel the tightness in my shoulders and neck dissipate. When I open my eyes, I’ll be back in the bathtub. I fell asleep. This was all a dream . I repeated the three sentences as though they were my mantra. When I felt relaxed and calm, I opened my eyes.
    Silas was still standing in front of me, shirtless and looking as broken as ever, and there was still a pile of ashes lying a few feet away. Nothing had been a dream. Everything I witnessed tonight had been real.
    Silas was a dragon shifter, and apparently he’d torched the woman who’d been sent to kill him, turning her to ashes.
    I tightened my robe around my body and hightailed it out of there without speaking another word. I wasn’t sure what was racing faster as I dashed through the front door of my place, my heart or my mind. All I knew was that I needed to get out of there.
    I needed to get away from Silas LeFroy.

Chapter 12
Silas
    I didn’t stop her . Part of me wanted to, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good. She needed time to process. She needed time to think. Learning there was an entire world of supernaturals hidden in plain sight wasn’t easy to swallow, I was sure.
    I shifted my focus to what was left of Vanessa as soon as my front door clicked shut. My hands smoothed over my face as equal parts relief and remorse filled me. I never would have thought I’d one day be standing over her ashes.
    The sound of tires crunching against gravel filtered through the open windows of my living room. Scarlet must be home. I collected myself, knowing I needed to seem levelheaded and calm when she stepped through the door. While Scarlet understood the need for Vanessa to be completely eradicated, it didn’t mean that she wouldn’t feel something from the fact I’d actually gone through with it.
    “I’m home,” Scarlet said as she breezed through the front door. She dropped her things on the catchall table and slipped off her shoes before realizing I was standing in the living room. “Jesus, you scared me! Why are you standing there like a creeper?”
    She’d flinched at the sight of me, but her reaction to me was nothing compared to when she finally spotted Vanessa’s ashes.
    “Holy shit! Is that Vanessa?” Her golden eyes, so similar to my own, widened with fear.
    “Yes.”
    Scarlet rushed to me. Her gaze traveled the length of my body, searching for any injuries I might have received in my battle against the hunter. “Are you okay?”
    “I’m fine.”
    “What happened? Why the hell didn’t you call for one of us to help you?” She slapped my arm as frustration festered inside her. “She could’ve killed you, Silas!”
    Her words irked me, as they insinuated I couldn’t handle her on my own. “I had everything under control.”
    “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m sure you did.” She released a long breath as her eyes locked with mine. “I just can’t believe she found us.” A tremble ran through her, and I reached out to comfort her.
    “It doesn’t matter now. It’s over. No more running.” At least I hoped. Violet’s knowledge of us ate away at my insides as I wondered how I should break the news to Scarlet and Sebastian that I’d been forced to reveal myself to a human.
    While it wasn’t uncommon for shifters to reveal themselves to humans, at least to those who were their mate, there were always risks involved.
    “What should we do now?” Scarlet asked, pulling me from my thoughts. She untangled herself from my grasp. “Should I call Sebastian?”
    “I’ll call.” I reached for my cell and proceeded to dial Sebastian’s number.
    Twenty minutes later, the three of us were standing in my living room, staring at Vanessa’s ashes.
    “Well, I for one am glad that’s over with.” Sebastian smoothed a hand along